Advice From Your Future Self: An Exercise That Can Change Your Life
What if you could get advice from yourself, when you’re 20 years older?
Not from a stranger. Not from an expert. Just you, two decades older. A version of you who has lived through the choices you're making today. The person who knows how it all turns out.
This simple thought experiment can give you the clarity you didn’t know you were missing. It can wake you up. It can guide you. And it might just change the way you live, starting now.
Step 1: The Wake-Up Call – If Nothing Changes
Close your eyes and imagine this:
You wake up 20 years from today. You’ve followed the same habits, routines, and patterns you have now. You stayed too busy to exercise and spend time with family and friends. You kept scrolling to entertain and distract yourself. You stayed in the same job. You continued eating and drinking as you do now. You put off saving and investing enough. You put off the doctor visits. You didn’t prioritize sleep. You kept saying "someday" to the things that mattered most.
How’s your health and fitness? How do you look and feel?
What’s the state of your relationships?
What’s your financial situation?
Are you fulfilled and proud? Or do you have some regrets?
Take a few minutes and write the answers to these questions, and anything else meaningful about this future version of yourself.
Now it’s time to get that advice from the future you:
What should I change?
What habits should I stop?
What habits should I start?
What should my priorities be?
What should I stop putting off?
Once you see the path you’re on, you can see where it leads if you don’t make any changes.
And now… let’s shift the perspective to something more positive.
Step 2: Your Best Possible Life
Now imagine a second version of your life, also 20 years ahead – but this time, things are very different, because you made some changes in your life.
Envision the best possible version of yourself in 20 years. Everything in your life has worked out perfectly, and you are living your ideal life.
Take a few minutes and write down some thoughts about this best version of yourself. It can help to include a few words about each of the key parts of your life:
Business/Career
Relationships
Health/Fitness
Financial
Environment/Home
Recreation/Fun
Personal Development
Service/Contributions
How did you achieve this best version? You made changes. You aligned your days with your values. You prioritized your health, your relationships, your dreams. You made time for your hobbies and passions instead of wasting it scrolling. You took some risks instead of playing it safe. You didn’t wait for the “perfect time”; you started small and stayed consistent.
This version of your future isn’t a fantasy – it’s a possibility.
It’s up to you to make it happen, since it all depends on what you start doing now.
Step 3: Ask Your Future Self for Advice
Now picture yourself sitting across from that best-future-you. They’re wise, they’re firm yet kind, and they want the best for you. (So that you can turn into them!)
Ask your future self:
What changes do I need to make?
What do I need to start doing today?
What habits made the biggest difference?
What was worth the discomfort?
What did I stop wasting time or energy on?
What brought me the most happiness?
Write down the advice. You might hear:
“You’ll never regret taking better care of your body. Start now.”
“Say yes to what matters, and no to what doesn’t. Your energy is limited—use it wisely.”
“Call the people you love. Time is shorter than you think.”
“Don’t be afraid to change.”
“Don’t worry about what other people think of you.”
“Start now on that dream you keep putting off.”
Step 4: Take One Action Today
Now take what your future self told you, and act on it.
Pick just one change. One habit. One decision. Start small, but start now.
Go for a walk.
Block 20 minutes for the project you’ve been avoiding.
Eat one nourishing meal.
Set your phone down and be fully present for someone you love.
Write the first sentence of your book, or your journal, or your new plan.
Whatever it is, your future self will thank you.
Start Now!
It’s easy to fool yourself into thinking that you’ll make changes later, when you have more time, or more money, or fewer things on your plate. But days turn into months turn into years, and that’s how you end up with that first version of yourself in 20 years.
Instead, ask yourself: In 20 years, what will I wish I had started sooner?
Then do that thing. Starting today.
At Happiful, our mission is to help you design, create, and live your ideal life.
To learn more, explore our Design Your Ideal Life course.
